Editor's note: As the nation celebrates the birth of Civil Rights pioneer Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we wanted to provide some of The Commercial Appeal's content from past years. Stories from the 40th anniversary of King's death were written in 2008 and can be found here. If you're more interested in the actual stories The Commercial Appeal wrote in 1968, they can be found here And of course, Marc Perrusquia's remarkable project about King's final 32 hours, published last April, is a full multi-media exploration into the events that happened that day.

At 3:15 p.m., before an attentive and emotional crowd inside the Grizzlies' practice facility at FedExForum, Bernard King rose from his leather chair to deliver a speech unbounded by time. He stepped to the front of the stage, some 250 spectators staring back, and read the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!"

It was the most powerful moment in an afternoon full of them, as King and a pair of other former NBA stars conducted a discussion of civil and human rights during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Sports Legacy Symposium at FedExForum.

King and fellow ambassadors JoJo White and Dikembe Mutombo conducted a free-flowing conversation that was equal parts past, present and future. They shared personal experiences of injustice and inequality, many of which pointed to the very issues Dr. King fought to erase. And then they looked ahead, imploring our populace in 2014 to continue to pay it forward for future generations.

"You have to know where you came from," Mutombo said, "and where you're going."

Though the introductions were peppered with accolades — 19 All-Star appearances and nine All-NBA selections between them — the athletic acumen of Monday's three guests faded into the background in favor of off-the-court experiences.

Perhaps the most jarring comment of the symposium was offered by White, a two-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics. He was asked whether he encountered racism during his professional career, which afforded him the opportunity to travel the country. It was then that White offered a stinging, telling line that shook the audience: "I encountered it then, and I encounter it now."

For an hour the trio offered insight on our nation's divided past and what can be done to ensure a more united future. Mutombo spoke about a fan who called him a "monkey" during a game in Orlando; King shared an account of police brutality he endured during his time at the University of Tennessee; White described the uniqueness of his relationship with his father, a preacher, who carried the words of Dr. King from the television into his childhood home.

As the event concluded, each honoree shared a goal he would like to see accomplished as the fight for equality continues. The prevalent theme was our nation's youth, and more specifically what we can do to educate and protect it so that they might reach the Promised Land.

And in that vein Mutombo left the crowd with a probing question. "Who are you passing your torch to?" he asked.